Trainer Robbie Laing admits that he will need a miracle for his colt Jaws Of Steel to beat the odds on favourite Yankee Rose in the Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Jaws Of Steel is at long odds to win the Champagne Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Jaws Of Steel is rated a $61 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au but Laing said a few things could go wrong with the $1.40 favourite which could give his youngster a chance to figure in the prizemoney.
“He can run a place can’t he?,” Laing told the Herald Sun.
“If the filly (Yankee Rose) hits rain and can’t handle the wet, her two runs been too hard for her, maybe a muddling pass upfront mightn’t suit her — who knows?”
Laing has already tasted success over the Sydney Autumn Carnival when he saddled up Missrock to win the Group 3 $500,000 IG Markets Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on the second day of ‘The Championships’ last Saturday.
Jaws Of Steel has only been to the races twice for a first up fourth in the Listed $120,000 Spicer Thoroughbred Valley Pearl (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 18 followed by a win in the $100,000 Mornington Sires’ (1500m) at Mornington on April 2.
While Yankee Rose is coming off a win in the Group 1 $1m Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Randwick on the first day of ‘The Championships’ on April 2.
“He ran his second start in a race over 1500m, and they don’t generally do it but he was always going to win … (but he) had raced with infected guttural pouches,” Laing said.
“He had to have four days of treatment after his win, but it has cleared up and on Tuesday he worked brilliantly on the Cranbourne grass, the opposite way, over half a mile (800m) in about 47 seconds.”
Top Melbourne jockey Brad Rawiller was in charge of Jaws Of Steel in his two career starts to date but Tye Angland gets the ride this weekend and will be able to give the Sharkbite colt the run of the race from barrier two.
Early market order for the Champagne Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.40 Yankee Rose, $7.50 Prized Icon, $9.50 Obscura, $14 Divine Prophet, $15 Faraway Town, $19 Chimboraa, $21 El Sicario, $51 Crown Him, $61 Jaws Off Steel, $71 Pop, $126 North Sky.
